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REGULATORS


Scuba diving regulators are what make diving possible. Forget every other piece of equipment; if you have a reg and an air source, you can dive. When Jacques Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan modified a welding regulator into a pressure-sensitive demand regulator in 1943, they opened the mysteries of the underwater world to anyone willing to discover them. In 1952, Melbourne based Ted Eldred invented the Porpoise separate first and second stage regulator that is the basis of today's modern regulator designs.

The Scuba Doctor has a wide range of regulators from carefully selected brands who all produce supreme performers in their own field of diving regulator design. These top-quality breathing regulators offer you enough choice to find the perfect regulator for your needs.

All of the scuba diving regulators we sell are CE EN250 certified. That is, they pass the requirements of the European standard for diving equipment to meet the demands placed on it at depth and under high breathing loads. This basically means that these regulators have been tested to make sure they will deliver gas to you at a depth of 50 metres, at acceptable temperatures, in any situation, even if you have two panicking divers demanding gas from them.

We're here to help you select the right scuba diving regulator, octopus and regulator accessories for your diving needs.

Types of Scuba Diving Regulators

Although there are many different brands and models of diving regulators to choose from there are only 3 basic types.

  • Balanced
  • Unbalanced
  • Over Balanced

Each of these types has its own characteristics, benefits and drawbacks.

Regulator Features

Diving regulators have a host of features, all of which you need to consider before spending your hard-earned cash. From how your regs attach to your air tank, to what you should look for in a second stage, everything from top to bottom needs to be looked at closely.

Maintenance and Care

An important consideration most people overlook is maintenance. If you buy an older model second-hand regulator or some exotic piece of equipment, you may have a hard time getting it serviced.

Scuba regulators should be serviced annually and if your local shop can't do it, you may have just bought yourself an expensive paperweight.

You also have to think about what if you have a problem on vacation? Will you be able to get your diving regulator serviced on-site?

If you stick with a fairly new regulator, of common make and model, you shouldn't have any trouble with service, home or abroad.

Putting It All Together

Before you buy your first set of scuba regulators you have some thinking to do. Not about the nice shiny new toy you are going to buy, but about what kind of diving you do and what kind of diver you are.

If you dive mostly on vacation, in warm tropical waters, on shallow coral reefs, you will require a far less robust, and expensive, diving regulator than if you are plunging to the cold depths on mixed gas.

Be honest with yourself.

Make a checklist of what you are looking for in a scuba diving regulator.

Start reading reviews and manufacturers specifications. Or call or email us. We're here to help.

Do your homework and you'll have scuba regulators that you'll enjoy and be able to dive with for years.

Tech Tip: Hose Protectors Don't Protect Hoses

The 'hose protectors' on the ends of the hoses next to the first stage provide a cosmetic appearance, however, there is no evidence they prevent hose damage. Hoses sometimes fail where the fitting is swaged onto the hose, but that's caused by gas pressure, and a hose protector is not going to prevent that from happening. Because hose protectors interfere with routing and streamlining, they are almost never seen on regs used in technical diving. In fact, hose protectors may compromise safety and many experienced divers don't use or recommend them. Hose protectors hold water against the fitting, causing corrosion and hiding developing problems. The post-dive maintenance recommendation is to pull the hose protectors back from the fittings, rinse and inspect. However, our observation is that not only do most divers not perform this suggested maintenance, when they do they are actually pulling hard at the most failure-prone part of the hose. Our maintenance recommendation: permanently remove all hose protectors (we carefully use a pair of side cutters rather than pull them off) and replace the hose if there is evidence of excessive wear or damage.

Regulators at The Scuba Doctor



Buying Dive Regulators

Buying Scuba Diving Regulators

Simply put, a scuba diving regulator is the device that delivers air to the diver and lets the diver breathe underwater. All regulators sold in dive centres today should be reliable, and many have fantastic added features that make diving easier and more fun. To be sure, purchase regulators that have been tested and certified as meeting the European CE EN250 standard.

Regulators deliver air to the diver by using two separate “stages” to reduce the high pressure of the air from the dive cylinder. (This two stage approach was invented by Ted Eldred in 1952 right here in Melbourne.) Both stages working together make it possible for the diver to get air delivered at a pressure that is comfortable for breathing. Most modern regulators are of a “single hose” design, so-called because a single hose is used to move air from the scuba tank to the diver's mouth, allowing them to breathe easily. The air moves first through a regulator first stage which is attached to the scuba tank, into the regulator's second stage, which is the part through which the diver breathes. The second stage has a comfortable mouthpiece attached allowing the diver to breathe from it easily.

If you look at them in cutaway drawings regulators may seem technical and complicated, but all modern first and second stages are actually very sound and straightforward devices, specifically designed to be tough and trustworthy.

How a Scuba Diving Regulator Works

When you breathe in on the second stage, you create a drop in pressure inside the body of the second stage. This causes a specially designed silicone rubber diaphragm to move inward (sort of like when you inhale on a plastic soda bottle and the sides move inward). The diaphragm contacts a lever attached to a small valve which rocks open, allowing air to enter the mouthpiece. If you only breathe in a little, the diaphragm only moves a little, and just a little air is released. But if you inhale forcefully, the diaphragm and lever move farther, giving you a larger volume of air. As the air in the hose feeding the second stage is at an “intermediate pressure” of around 140 pounds per square inch (psi), the amount of reserve air available is still formidable: with some regulators you can “purge” the second stage by pushing in on the diaphragm and ruffle somebody's hair across the room! So suffice it to say that the air available at any one time will be greater than what you could ever use in a typical diving situation.

The first stage, which is located between the scuba cylinder valve and the hose feeding the second stage, is responsible for taking the high-pressure air coming out of the tank and reducing it to the 140 psi or so intermediate pressure that the second stage needs to function properly.

One thing most modern regulators have in common is dependability. They are built to stringent quality standards and they are designed in such a way as to always provide air to the diver, as long as there is air in the scuba cylinder. Even if there is a problem with the regulator underwater due to lack of yearly maintenance, the regulator will still deliver air to the diver, though it may “freeflow,” and use up the air in the tank quickly.

Which Scuba Diving Regulator is Best

Modern regulators come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and technologies, as well as a wide range of prices. If you've never shopped for a regulator before, you'll find there are many choices available. We're here to help you understand the different features and benefits of the various models and styles.

If you are going to do primarily the sort of diving that the typical newly certified divers usually enjoys — relaxing dives on vacation in warm water locations, and at recreational depths — you'll do fine with most regulators on the market today. If we sell it, the diving regulator will be a high quality piece of gear that will serve you well for vacation diving for many, many years to come.

So why are there so many different regulators on the market? Generally the variety is there to answer needs generated by specific and specialised types of diving.

If you're planning on traveling a lot, for instance, and you need to conserve weight and space in your baggage, it will probably interest you to know that many manufacturers offer regulators for the traveling diver that are both lighter in weight than, and pack more compactly than, your average regulator. These light weight regulators may, for instance, replace the marine grade plated brass used in many regulator components with strong, lighter weight alternatives, such as titanium.

But the vast majority of premium regulators are designed to handle one or more of three conditions. They are designed to be used in colder water, or they are made to be used comfortably at greater depths, or they are designed to function well under high work loads — swimming against a strong current, say, or doing something strenuous like dislodging a stuck anchor or digging as part of a scientific underwater archaeology project. To understand how these high performance regulators work, you can look at differences in their basic design.

Types of Scuba Diving Regulators

It's important to know that, when it comes to performance, some of the most significant differences in regulator design are found in the first stage.

You'll hear most first stages being referred to as unbalanced or balanced, and as piston or diaphragm designs. Here's what those terms mean:

  • Unbalanced means that the first stage uses tank pressure, in part, to open or “crack” its internal valving. This means that, as the air in the dive cylinder gets used up, the inhalation effort required to open the valve gets marginally higher. At shallower depths — say, less than 100 feet — and low work loads, the difference in inhalation effort is minimal so you might not even notice it. But at deeper depths encountered by advanced or technical divers, or under heavy work loads, such as swimming against a strong current, the difference might become noticeable.
  • Balanced first-stage designs “crack” or open without assistance from tank pressure, so ease of breathing remains constant throughout the dive. The design usually makes such valves a little more costly, but if you're doing a lot of deep diving or working hard during your diving, the difference in cost is worth it, particularly if you think of the cost being spread out over hundreds of dives.

Water has weight, so there is more pressure pushing down on you and your gear as you do deeper (this is why you'll hear about divers equalising the pressure in their ears — so called “clearing” — and equalising their masks — they are putting more air into those spaces to compensate for the higher pressure caused by the water). To work properly, the first stage must have a way of “sensing” this pressure, and that's where “piston” and “diaphragm” type first stages come into play.

  • Piston Type First Stages work by allowing water to enter the first stage and press directly on a piston within a sleeve — the greater the depth, the higher the pressure, and the greater the pressure applied directly to the piston mechanism. Because there is only one moving part, this is a great and extremely durable design under most underwater conditions, which is why you'll see so many regulators with “balanced piston” as part of their specs. Piston regulators do have certain disadvantages in extremely cold (freezing) conditions or in very dirty water, but since most recreational diving takes place in clear water which is above freezing, these disadvantages are minimal. Manufacturers of piston regulators offer “environmental seal” kits that encapsulate the piston in a flexible boot that is filled with a clean and freeze resistant material (such as inert silicone), allowing the pressure to be transmitted to the mechanism just like water pressure, while keeping it separated from the cold or dirty water. An alternative is to go to another first stage design.
  • Diaphragm Type First Stages have two parts to their valve opening mechanism: a lever within an air space, and a diaphragm that presses in as that air space contracts from increasing external pressure. This design does not allow water to make direct contact with the internal mechanism of the first stage, making this a design that works well in dirty or very cold water — the sorts of conditions routinely encountered by ice divers and rescue divers. Because the diaphragm design allows no direct contact between the first stage mechanism and the water, these first stage designs are often used in diving classes where there is likely to be less care used in handling the regulator.

Second stages can also be of a balanced or unbalanced (sometimes called “downstream”) design, and again, while downstream regulators are common in rental inventories and work great under most recreational diving conditions, the slightly greater investment to buy a balanced second stage can be money well spent if you do lots diving, or intend to take up specialty diving in which you may find easier breathing effort a desirable feature.

Octopuses and Safe Seconds

All divers carry a backup second stage regulator, also known as an “octopus regulator” or a “safe second stage.” This regulator acts as a backup in the event that another diver needs additional air to get back to the surface, or more rarely in the event of a problem with the diver's own second stage. The backup can either be a second mouthpiece attached via its own hose to the first stage, or incorporated into the hose that you use to inflate and deflate your buoyancy compensator.

As a general rule of thumb, your octopus should have performance characteristics similar to those of your primary second stage. That way, if you have to go to someone's aid, they will be breathing from a regulator as good as the one they started the dive with — a good way to take some of the pressure out of a possibly stressful situation.

Traditionally, the backup second stage regulator has been a lower-performance lower-cost unbalanced design because it was thought to be less likely to free flow and less prone to problems. However, experience has demonstrated concerns with using a lower performance regulator under conditions that forced a switch to the backup, and many experienced divers are now choosing identical high-performance backup and primary regulators.

Best Octopus Regulator
Dive Perfect 2nd Stage Regulator / Octopus Dive Perfect 2nd Stage Regulator / Octopus
RRP: $299, Our Price: $295, You Save $4 (1%).
The Dive Perfect high-performance balanced second stage is very resistant to free flow when it has the venturi setting on pre-dive and the adjustment knob set low. Field experience has shown the Dive Perfect regulators to be quite trouble-free as well.

Budget Octopus Regulator
Cressi Octopus XS Compact Second Stage Regulator Cressi Octopus XS Compact Second Stage Regulator
RRP: $189, Our Price: $159, You Save $30 (16%).
The same casing as the Cressi XS Compact model made from special hi-tech polymers, the only difference being the yellow front cover. All the parts of Cressi XS Compact, most of which are patented, can be found on this regulator. The performance is extremely high, although the calibration is regulated so that the inhalation effort is slightly greater. Comes complete with a 100 cm long low pressure, yellow coloured, rubber regulator hose.

Some divers also consider the use of a second, independent (and smaller) air supply. This consists of a separate small tank and regulator system attached to the diver — sometimes attached to the diver's primary tank. This system serves the same purpose of helping a fellow diver in need of air, but is completely independent of the diver's own air supply.

DIN vs Yoke (A-Clamp) Cylinder Connections

DIN vs Yoke Regulators

The most common way to connect your diving regulator to your tank valve in use in Australia is still the International Yoke or A-Clamp fitting (same thing, different names!). Yoke fittings were the worldwide recreational diving standard, but technical divers switched to DIN connections a long time ago because it's a safer system. Then Europe mandated DIN as the standard for recreational diving.

So today, in most dive travel destinations around the world, the dive operation will certainly have Yoke valve fittings and also probably DIN valve fittings. In fact, the common valves used today are DIN valves that come with an insert to convert them to Yoke valves. Thus they can be easily changed to accommodate either type of regulator connection method. This is now the type of valve used by most dive operators so that they can handle customers with DIN or Yoke regs.

DIN fitting regulators are by far a safer coupling with the regulator actually screwing into the tank valve, trapping the high pressure O-ring so it cannot extrude like it occasionally (and spectacularly) does with an A-Clamp fitting.

We use and recommend DIN fitting first stage regulators. They're safer and lighter for travel. Plus, if you do end up in a location where they only have valves with Yoke fittings, you can simply use a DIN to Yoke Adaptor to quickly changeover.

Dive Perfect DIN to Yoke 1st Stage Regulator Adaptor Dive Perfect DIN to Yoke 1st Stage Regulator Adaptor
RRP: $79, Our Price: $70, You Save $9 (11%).
This adaptor enables a 200 Bar or 300 Bar DIN first stage regulator to be connected to a cylinder with an international Yoke ('A') clamp cylinder K-valve without the need for tools.

When and How to Buy

Because it is such a key and central component of your dive gear package, a good scuba diving regulator is usually one of the first purchases you'll want to make after getting the basic mask, fins and snorkel that you'll need to participate in your certification class (also called Open Water Diver training). If you already know what sort of diving you'll mainly be doing after you're certified, you may want to buy a regulator and use it during your open water classes.

Having your own regulator means you'll have a central and pivotal piece of gear already sitting in your gear bag when an opportunity to dive comes up. If you own your own reg, you're likely to dive much more often — and that's where the fun is.

Regulator stages are often available separately, but not every second stage will work optimally with every first stage, so unless you know gear inside and out, it's crucial that you have guidance when you purchase your regulator. We can help foresee things you may not think about — such as how to set up your regulator first stage so that it is most comfortable for you. We can also help guide you on the additional types of diving available in your local area, and make sure you choose a regulator that will work in a variety of diving conditions in which you may be interested.

European EN250 Standard for Diving Regulators

Twenty to fourty years ago the performance of scuba diving regulators varied widely, from very poor performance to extremely high performance. Some were barely capable of delivering an adequate supply of air at the recreational diving depth limit of 30 metres.

In Europe the CE EN 250 standard was introduced and all diving regulators sold in Europe have to meet the demands placed on them at depth and under high breathing loads. This basically means that these regulators has been tested to make sure they will deliver gas to you at a depth of 50 metres, at acceptable temperatures, in any situation, even if you have two panicking divers demanding gas from them.

All of the scuba diving regulators we sell at The Scuba Doctor are CE EN250 certified. But be warned. Here in Australia there is no standard in place and there are plenty of diving regulators on the market here that still perform poorly as they have changed little, if at all over many, many years.

The Scuba Doctor Recommended Regulators

We have plenty of amazing scuba diving regulator options available for you to choose from, but the following are our favourites:

Cressi AC2 XS Compact Regulator Set - DIN or Yoke Cressi AC2 XS Compact Regulator Set - DIN or Yoke
RRP: $399, Our Price: $359, You Save $40 (10%).
For recreational divers seeking a great value for money regulator performance we recommend this regulator set. Lightweight and compact, this is an ideal reg set for the rigors of local diving, plus great for the traveling diver.

Cressi MC9-SC XS Compact Pro Regulator Set - DIN or Yoke Cressi MC9-SC XS Compact Pro Regulator Set - DIN or Yoke
RRP: $699, Our Price: $649, You Save $50 (7%).
This great Cressi regulator package, with its environmentally sealed first stage, has been designed for the more extreme cold/temperate water diving environments of both serious recreational divers and technical divers, but it's equally suitable for warmer waters. This regulator set delivers outstanding flow rates, plus it's extremely comfortable to use, and light for travel, all essential qualities for any regulator. Great choice for the discerning diver.

Cressi T10-SC Master Regulator Set - DIN or Yoke Cressi T10-SC Master Regulator Set - DIN or Yoke
RRP: $979, Our Price: $859, You Save $120 (12%).
This top-of-the-range Cressi regulator package, with its environmentally sealed first stage, has been designed for the more extreme cold/temperate water diving environments, but it's equally suitable for warmer waters. This regulator set delivers outstanding flow rates and superior resistance to freezing, plus it's extremely comfortable to use. Fantastic performance, stunning finish and desirable when only the best will do for recreational and technical diving.

Dive Perfect Matilda Streamlined Sport Diver Regulator Package Dive Perfect Matilda Streamlined Sport Diver Regulator Package
RRP: $1,199, Our Price: $1,009, You Save $190 (16%).
Every detail of this product has been carefully designed to deliver a regulator package of the highest quality with improved safety and streamlining. These regs meet the tough CE EN250 European standards, and are cold water and Nitrox ready.

Apeks Tec 3 Regulator Set Apeks Tec 3 Regulator Set
RRP: $1,960, Our Price: $1,765, You Save $195 (10%).
This Apeks twin cylinder, technical diving regulator set features unique 1st stages specifically for use on a twin set. This twin system benefits from streamlined hoses with little chance of accidental snagging and also improved ease of access to cylinder valves. The 1st stages each have 3 medium pressure ports and one high pressure port. They are balanced, cold water compatible and extremely robust.

Apeks Sidemount Regulator Set Apeks Sidemount Regulator Set
RRP: $2,400, Our Price: $2,160, You Save $240 (10%).
This Apeks regulator set comes with everything required to get gas out of sidemount cylinders. It comes complete with two DST first stages which are fitted with a 5th end port, two XTX50 second stages, two SPG's on short hoses, a lightweight long-hose, a lightweight short hose, a lightweight wing inflator hose, a lightweight suit inflation hose, bungee necklace, 90 degree fixed elbow and finally a bolt snap. That's a lot of gear!

For more regulator choices, please take a look at the Scuba Diving Regulators section of our online dive shop, or our list of the Top 10 Best Scuba Regulators.

Reduce Jaw Fatigue

To reduce jaw fatigue and provide better hose routing, many experienced divers like to have a 360-degree omni-directional swivel adaptor, or a 20/70/110-degree swivel adaptor, at the second stage end of their regulator hose. No matter how the diver's head is turned, the swivel will allow the hose to find the point of least resistance, thus eliminating jaw fatigue. This also allows improved regulator hose routing by making it easier to have the hose go down the diver's chest and/or under the arm, eliminating hose push and giving you a more comfortable bite on your mouth piece. Your regulator hose will lay closer to your body (under your arm) helping to eliminate tangles and improve streamlining.

Sonar LP 360° Omni-Directional Swivel Adaptor for Regulator Sonar LP 360° Omni-Directional Swivel Adaptor for Regulator
RRP: $64, Our Price: $61, You Save $3 (5%).
The Omni-swivel adaptor installs between the low pressure regulator hose and second stage regulator. The rotating 360° swivel action increases comfort and reduces jaw fatigue.

Sonar LP 20/70/110-Degree Swivel Adaptor for Regulator Sonar LP 20/70/110-Degree Swivel Adaptor for Regulator
RRP: $24, Our Price: $22, You Save $2 (8%).
Enables comfortable, streamlined underarm routing of the regulator hose. We prefer this 20/70/110-degree adaptor over a 90-degree adaptor because it angles the regulator hose slightly away from the neck and face.

Regulator Accessories

These accessories will help you care for your regulators and keep you diving safely.

The Scuba Doctor 5mm Neoprene Regulator Bag (Plastic Zip) The Scuba Doctor 5mm Neoprene Regulator Bag (Plastic Zip)
RRP: $59, Our Price: $55, You Save $4 (7%).
Keep your regulators and expensive instruments separate from the rest of the gear. This protective padded bag enables you to transport and store your regulators and instruments safely. It's large enough to hold your 1st and 2nd stage regulators, gauges, and an octopus.

IST Proline Mini Tank O-ring Kit with Brass Pick IST Proline Mini Tank O-ring Kit with Brass Pick
RRP: $20, Our Price: $18, You Save $2 (10%).
Not having spare regulator O-rings in your save a dive kit can make the difference between making a great dive and sitting on the beach or boat and not getting wet because you did not have a spare.

We recommend keeping a spare Regulator Mouthpiece and zip tie in your save a dive kit.

Sterisol Scuba Mouthpiece Germicide - 59ml Sterisol Scuba Mouthpiece Germicide - 59ml
RRP: $17, Our Price: $15, You Save $2 (12%).
Sterisol Germicide is the perfect cleaner and conditioner for Scuba Regulator and Snorkel mouthpieces! Sterisol is completely safe and, when used as directed, will clean and deodorise mouthpieces, including removing mould and fungus.

Regulator Maintenance

After every day of diving, you should soak the regulator and its accessories in clean, fresh water while attached to a dive cylinder with the air turned on. Never let your scuba diving regulators go near water unless pressurised.

Soaking in warm water is even better still. And “swishing” the regulator in its fresh water bath before removing it and hanging it to dry. This helps rinse away grit and sand, and helps remove salt that can otherwise crystallise and impair regulator function.

As you add accessories, such as air integrated dive computers, to your regulator, you'll also want to inspect the O-rings and replace anything that looks cracked, chewed up or obviously worn. If you ask us to install any accessories, we'll check for worn components such as this on opened components as a matter of course.

Most importantly, the regulator should be inspected and serviced at the interval recommended by the manufacturer (usually annually) to be sure it is ready for the diving season. In fact, many divers have their regulator inspected and serviced at the end of the diving season, putting it away in a clean and serviced condition when the diving season has ended for the year. That way there is less chance for corrosion or for contaminants to damage the regulator while it is in storage for an extended period.

For more details about looking after your regulators so that you can breathe easy, please see Regulator Care and Caring For Scuba Diving Hoses.

See also Advice on choosing the right regulator for you.

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